Ohaeles m



(No Model.)

0.-1v1. 'HINMAN V SLED. No. 252,107. Patented Jan 10,1882.

74" 265565 jizw ztw N. m'sns Wolo-Lillmgnpher. Washington, a, a

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES M. HINMAN, OF SAUK CENTRE, MINNESOTA.

SLED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. 252,107, dated January 10,. 18$ 2. Application filed November 23, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. HINMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sank Gentre,in thecounty of Stearns and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sleds; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention; such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being-had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specifica- This invention has for'its object to furnish an improved knee for sleds; and it consists in the peculiar construction hereinafter fully described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of one of my sled-knees and a portion of one of the cross-beams. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sideviewof one of the beams, having the beam-plates attached thereto, and Fig. 4 is a section on line as as, Fig. 3.

My invention is designed more especially for single-beam hob-sleds; but it is adapted to any kind of sled.

A is one of the knees attached to the runner B. The knee is composed of the two raves a a, the upper cross-bar, a, the lower cross-bar, a and the two supports a a connected to the under cross-bar, a and extended to the runner B. Thestandards havetheir lower ends curved outward and rest on the top of and are made fast to the runner by suitable bolts, 11. The cross-bars a a are arranged wide enough apart to provide between them and the upper ends of the standards an opening, A, large enough to receive the end of the cross-beam O. The supports a are provided at their lower ends with shoulders or flanges a which rest on the top of the runner, and with pins a (shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2,) which enter holes bored in the runner. When the knee is put in place on the runner and is secured by the bolts b it will be firm in its position and will endure any degree of strain that may be put upon it. I prefer to employ two supports a under the cross-bar 0, for thereby greater strength and firmness are given to the knee; but a knee provided with but one support placed at the mid-,

dle of cross-bare will be very strong and durable.

I construct the knee with a curved horn, a

uneven surfaces.

Each end of the beam 0 is furnishedwith the beam-plates cl (1. One of the plates is placed on the upper side, the other on the lower side, of the beam. The beam-plates are formed with the jaws d cl, which project outward on opposite sides of the cross-bars a a and prevent the beam from slipping endwise. The beam-plates are bolted in place. The surface of the plates inthe bottom of the channelsor ways formed by the jaws d d is made with convex bearing-surfaces (1" 01 as shown clearly in Fig. 4. This permits the runner to have a sufficient and free vertical movement, In connecting the beam and plates to the knee A the plates are first put in the opening A in the knee, and then the end of the beam is inserted between the said plates, and the latter are made fast by suitable bolts, as shown.

A sled-knee constructed as the one hereinbefore described possesses superior advantages The plates d could be constructed without the convex surfaces at, and so that when the beam is inserted between them they would fit snugly in eye A. Such construction can be adopted where several knees and beams are placed on the same runner and where it is not desired that the runner shall have an independent vertical rocking movement on the end of the beam. In such cases the end of the beam could be made to fit snugly in the eye A, and pins or bolls could be put in position to bear against the sides of the cross-bars a a? and have the same function as the jaws d. f

My sled-knee can be made of iron, cast or otherwise made into proper form; or it can be shaped out of wood, if desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. A- knee for sleds, composed of the standards a at, having their lower ends flared outward on the top of the runner, and having the cross-bars a a arranged to provide an eye or opening, A, to receive the end of the beam,

and having one or more supports, a under the cross-bar a and resting on the runner, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the knee A, provided with an eye or opening,'A, and the beam 0, of the beam-plates d d, provided with jaws d d, arranged to embrace the upper and under cross-bars of the'knee and hold the end of the beam, substantially as set forth.

3. The beam-plates (I d, constructed with the 'aws d d and with the transverse convex bearing-surface d in the space or channel between thejaws, in combination with the beam 0 and knee A, provided with an eye or opening, A, the said knee being held so that 'it has a rocking or swinging motion on the end of the beam, substantially as set forth.

4. A sled-knee constructed to hold the end of the cross-beam, and provided with a horn or curved projection, a, arranged about on a level with the upper side of the cross-beam, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, on this 4th day of November, 1881.

CHARLES M. HINMAN.

Witnesses:

M. O. KELsEY, W. J. LARKE. 

